Andrew Trio is winemaker of Wayfinder, a relatively new small-batch winery in Margaret River, alongside Small Wonder in Tasmania.
Having worked vintages at many of the biggest name wineries in the region along with 10 years in Washington State and a few more in Sonoma Valley, Andrew has experienced many aspects and philosophies of winemaking, which has led him back to an ideal of ‘treading lightly’ which is the fundamental to Wayfinder.
“Our practices are born out of a philosophy to tread lightly in our farming and winemaking. In addition to managing our vineyard and wines to organic certification, we have many energy saving initiatives in the winery and follow industry best practice for wastewater treatment and reuse for vineyard irrigation,” he says.
Wayfinder is a single vineyard winery, working with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
In addition to growing grapes, the Wayfinder property also farms chickens, sheep and keep bees. A veggie garden and newly planted orchard will supply their urban cellar door located in Dunsborough.
“By supporting a myriad of flora and fauna species, we aim to achieve a balance in biodiversity that benefits us all,” Andrew says.
Andrew has overseen the design of a new winery for Wayfinder, which will be ready for the 2026 vintage.
“Our new winery will be 100% off-grid, powered by a PV array and battery storage, with rainwater capture and many other energy-saving initiatives.”
As for his approach to the wines themselves, Andrew suggests texture is the most important aspect.
“To help create texture, we ferment wine in a variety of materials, including concrete, ceramic, oak and steel,” he says.
One of his favourite aspects as a winemaker is the opportunity for experimentation, to continually improve the wines.
“Our winery is designed to foster creativity and innovation through small batch fermentation, precise temperature control, and enough tank space to allow for slow, gentle fermentation to occur, and for trials and experiments to be followed through to completion.”
Discover more about Wayfinder.
